• Wimbledon

Murray fired up for Cilic showdown

ESPN staff
July 2, 2012
Andy Murray is preparing for an intense second week © Getty Images
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Andy Murray is primed to take on Marin Cilic in the fourth round at Wimbledon, describing each match of the final week of the grand slam as "like a cup final".

Murray beat Marcos Baghdatis, and the Centre Court curfew, on Saturday night as he set up an enticing showdown with 16th-seeded Cilic. The pair will play the highly-anticipated match on Court No. 1 on Monday afternoon, and Murray says he will be up for the challenge.

"I guess every game will feel like a Cup final now," Murray said. "Those late matches have such a special atmosphere. I have had some late ones in Australia and at the US Open, and they tend to get better the later they go on."

Widely regarded as one of the better ball-strikers on the ATP Tour under an enclosed roof, Murray claims he too became consumed by the atmosphere as he swept past Baghdatis in the latest known finish to a Wimbledon match.

"Because it's something different people really get into it," Murray said. "None of the noise gets lost, it stays in the stadium. And with it getting close to 11pm, people have probably had a few drinks as well."

Murray has reached the semi-final stage for three consecutive years at the All England Club, and with Rafael Nadal now out of his side of the draw, the fourth seed will see an opportunity to reach the final. Standing in his way is a familiar foe in Cilic.

"We played each other growing up in the juniors," Murray said. "I have known him for a long time.

"He had some knee surgery but has come back well. He had a long match with [Sam] Querrey and I'm hoping he will be tired. But guys have come back from long matches before, like Novak [Djokovic] in Australia this year."

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